Richard Redus, known as Rick, was friends with Eric Drew Feldman and Jeff Moris Tepper in Portola Junior High in Tarzana, CA and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, CA). So, it was somehow inevitable that when the Magic Band needed a new guitarist it was him that the other members of the band thought of.

He joined the Magic Band in 1978 replacing Denny Walley on guitar. He also played accordion (as Denny had also done).

After Rick left the band, he continued to pursue his interest in and love for music playing the guitar daily for his own pleasure and to improve his skill. He created software in the eighties allowing people to play contrapuntal lines with the music of Bach.

After a construction accident Rick had a drug problem for a time in the late eighties. He was able to put that behind him by the early nineties. Some of his fingers were burned in a fire around this time, and he had partial amputations of some fingers. As he healed, he began to explore the art of painting geometric designs as seen in Islamic tile patterns. This allowed him to learn to use his fingers with very small motor ability that surprised everyone.

During the nineties, Rick pursued his interest in making geometric designs and eventually moved to working in wood. He has been making one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture inlaid with geometric designs, in different kinds of exotic and fine woods. He has received several top awards in the museum shows his woodworking association puts on each year. He has also been working as a fine cabinet-maker for several years.

As his ability to design and implement the very small and intricate inlay work progressed, he brought this ability to his guitar playing and achieved remarkable results. Playing the guitar is still a great pleasure for him and those around him.

Rick has three children.

Thanks to Charlene Dye for helping us fill in some details of what Rick’s been up to.